


No Place I'd Rather Be

by liamsfreckles



Series: We Could be More Than Just Amazing [5]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Kidfic, M/M, and fluffy, it's angsty, sick ethan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-11
Updated: 2016-10-11
Packaged: 2018-08-21 22:11:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,990
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8262179
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/liamsfreckles/pseuds/liamsfreckles
Summary: He padded down the hallway of his flat towards Ethan’s bedroom, smiling a little at the drawing that was pinned on the outside of the bedroom door. A sketch, done by Zayn, of Ethan as Spiderman: swinging through London. Ethan had been so chuffed by it that he’d insisted that Liam put it up right away and that it was ‘never ever ever’ coming down.
He pushed open the door gently, peeking his head through first before slipping inside Ethan’s bedroom. It was washed in soft greys and blues from the muted morning light filtering through Ethan’s curtains. The bed was along the wall next to the window, where Liam could make out the lump that was his little boy, curled up under his comforter, with his spiderman stuffie from Zayn, and his blankie from grandma.
He sat down softly on the edge of the bed as he reached over to peel the comforter down slightly to reveal the mess of hair atop Ethan’s head. He was still soundly asleep, his cheeks puffed slightly, fingers curled ever so slightly around the Spiderman toy. Liam tilted his head with a smile, and drew a finger along Ethan’s cheek.
The smile vanished.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Part of the _We Could me More Than Just Amazing_ series.

The alarm on Liam’s phone shrilled loudly, rousing him awake.

“Time is it?” Zayn mumbled into his neck, tightening his hold on Liam’s waist.

“Just after six,” Liam replied, turning his cheek to press a kiss to the top of Zayn’s head. “Ethan’s going to my parents place for the weekend, remember?”

Zayn made a low noise, hooking his ankle around Liam’s. “At six AM, Leeyum?”

Liam grinned. “Forgot to pack his bag last night because  _someone_  distracted me, yeah?”

“M’innocent.  _You_  came on to  _me_.”

Liam laughed and squeezed the other man a little tighter, breathing in Zayn’s sleepwarm scent. He let his fingertips trail lightly up and down Zayn’s bicep as he glanced out the window to the grey October morning, snorting gently when he felt his boyfriends body go slack once more. 

Ethan had been excited for this weekend to come. He very much enjoyed getting spoiled rotten by his grammy and grampy. He always seemed to come home with a new present, and a knack for attempting to go to bed way past his bedtime. 

It would be nice, however, to have a weekend for himself and Zayn. It had been over a month since the  _papa_   _incident_ , and while Ethan hadn’t really called him that again, Zayn seemed to be working hard to show Liam how much he wanted to be there for the two of them. It was a good feeling - one that stuck to his bones and made him feel warm inside. A weekend without Ethan would ensure that Liam and Zayn could talk properly and spend some well deserved time alone.

He lay there for a few minutes more before carefully untangling himself from Zayn’s limbs. He swung his feet over the side of the bed, making a mental note to turn up the heat on the thermostat, and hoisted himself up to get ready for the day. 

He pulled on a pair of black sweats and hoodie, and tugged on a pair of socks with the batman logo printed all over them (a gift from Zayn when they had first started dating). His parents were swinging by to pick Ethan up by 8:30 as they wanted to take him to the farm that was not too far from their home in Wolverhampton, so he knew he’d have to get his son dressed, fed and packed within the hour, otherwise it would be a lost cause.

He padded down the hallway of his flat towards Ethan’s bedroom, smiling a little at the drawing that was pinned on the outside of the bedroom door. A sketch, done by Zayn, of Ethan as Spiderman: swinging through London. Ethan had been so chuffed by it that he’d  _insisted_ that Liam put it up right away and that it was ‘never ever ever’ coming down.

He pushed open the door gently, peeking his head through first before slipping inside Ethan’s bedroom. It was washed in soft greys and blues from the muted morning light filtering through Ethan’s curtains. The bed was along the wall next to the window, where Liam could make out the lump that was his little boy, curled up under his comforter, with his spiderman stuffie from Zayn, and his blankie from grandma.

He sat down softly on the edge of the bed as he reached over to peel the comforter down slightly to reveal the mess of hair atop Ethan’s head. He was still soundly asleep, his cheeks puffed slightly, fingers curled ever so slightly around the Spiderman toy. Liam tilted his head with a smile, and drew a finger along Ethan’s cheek.

The smile vanished.

“Shit,” he murmured, drawing his finger away before pressing his palm to Ethan’s forehead. It was hot - almost uncomfortably so. 

Ethan’s health had always been a cause for concern. He’d been a premature birth, and while the doctors he saw on a regular basis believed he was a ‘strapping young lad’ - when he got sick, he really got sick. The last time Ethan had a fever, they’d spent two days in hospital.

It set Liam on edge.

“Daddy…” Ethan croaked, shifting under Liam’s palm.

“S’okay, babe,” Liam said, smoothing Ethan’s hair down. “Daddy’s here.”

“Don’t feel okay,” Ethan sniffled. “Hurts.”

Liam frowned. “Where does it hurt, Eth?”

“Allover,” Ethan replied, forcing his eyes open. They were dull, ringed with dark circles. His skin was pale - almost grey in its complexion, and it made Liam’s heart ache. “Am I going to grammy and grampies?”

Liam huffed out a breath.  _Fuck_. “No, baby,” he said gently, still stroking fingers through Ethan’s hair. “We are going to have to do that another weekend, okay?”

He watched Ethan’s face crumple, and it broke his heart. Ethan started to cry - big fat tears rolled down his cheeks, and his breath came in rapid succession, bringing forth the sobs and the soft ‘Daddy’…

Liam scooped him up into his arms, securing an arm under his bum while the other cradled his head as Ethan cried into his neck, his skin almost on fire. He was burning up, and the sudden onslaught of tears wasn’t going to help in any way.

He was about to call for Zayn, when he felt the bed dip next to him. and a cool hand settled on his lower back.

“Brought the thermometer and the fever reducer.” Zayn murmured quietly. “D’ya want me to call Doctor Kim?”

Liam sighed, shifting so that he was facing Zayn. “Please,” he replied, wincing when Ethan began to cough. He could feel the rattle against his chest, and it didn’t sound or feel good. “Sorry to have woken yo-”

Zayn shushed him and dropped a kiss to his shoulder. “It’s fine. I’ll call your mum, too.”

Liam nodded and watched Zayn pad out of the bedroom once more, while Liam reached over for the electronic thermometer, softly speaking into Ethan’s ear while the little boy continued to cry, trying to calm him down.

He managed to place the thermometer under Ethan’s arm, his lips settled into a line against his son’s scalding forehead as he waited for a reading. The crying subsided, reduced to sniffles and hiccups, 

The thermometer beeped, and Liam was suddenly too nervous to check the reading.

Zayn popped his head back into the bedroom, eyes full of concern. “Doctor Kim said to call if the temperature goes over 102 and he’s showing signs of slow motor skills or unresponsiveness. Called your mum and let her know. They said they could drop off anything we need.”

Liam nodded woodenly as he gently slipped the device from Ethan’s armpit and brought it up to check the temperature. “It’s at 101.5,″ he said, and he felt so bad for his son. Liam hated being sick, so he couldn’t imagine what it was like for a child. “His chest is rattling when he breathes in and out.”

Zayn frowned a little, stepping into the room. “What do we want to do?”

Liam tilted his cheek to Ethan’s hairline. It made Liam’s heart thump unevenly when Zayn referred to them as a ‘we’. As if they were in this together. A silver lining, of sorts. “We’ll give him the fever reducer and monitor him for a few hours. If it doesn’t get better, we’ll…we’ll call Doctor Kim again.”

Zayn nodded and made his way over to the two of them, taking the bottle of pink liquid from the bedside table. Between him and Zayn, they managed to get Ethan to take a capful with minimal fuss - which made Liam ache even more. His poor boy was just too sick to put up a fight. 

“Daddy is gonna go set up the living room like a big bed, and we can pick your favourite movies and shows to watch, okay?” He asked, a little shake in his voice. Christ. It wasn’t the first time Ethan had been sick, but it always shot his nerves. 

It took a moment, but Ethan finally nodded and reached out for Zayn. Zayn glanced up to Liam, a silent ask, before Liam nodded and shifted Ethan over to him.

He watched the way Zayn curled his son into his body, so gentle and soft. “I’ll sit with him until it’s ready, yeah? And then I’ll go and get some supplies.”

Liam nodded softly, getting up off Ethan’s bed to press a kiss to Ethan’s head, and then a kiss to Zayn’s lips. “Thank you,” he mumbled quietly, thumbing over Zayn’s ear for a moment, before straightening up and making his way from the bedroom.

He called his parents when he was out and setting up the living room with pillows and blankets, apologizing and planning another weekend for them to see their grandson. His mum - always the calm in a storm - told him that she’d make up a batch of homemade chicken noodle and drop it off later on that evening, and to not worry too much, as Ethan could pick up on it as well.

Zayn brought Ethan into the living room a few minutes later, and he settled the boy onto the couch, curling him up into the blankets while Ethan settled into the pillows.  Zayn turned to Liam, his eyes still puffy with sleep. “D’you want anything before I go?”

Liam shook his head, curling his fingers around Zayn’s wrist to pull him close. “I’ll give you my card to get all the stuff, ok?”

Zayn made a noise and kissed him gently. “Not necessary. We’re in this together, yeah? I’ll grab what we need and be back in no time.”

Liam nudged his nose to Zayn’s, sighing heavily. “Not sure what I did to deserve you, but, i love you.” 

Zayn grinned, cupping his cheeks. “I love you too, Li.”

–

They took turns snuggling with Ethan on the couch, watching cartoons and movies while they waited for the fever reducer to kick in. Zayn started on laundry, cleaning Ethan’s sheets, while Liam read up on fevers and other symptoms, trying not to freak himself out.

He clicked out of an article just as Ethan had squeezed his arm.

“Daddy…” Ethan began, his still too warm cheek pressed to Liam’s bicep. “Where’s papa?”

Liam warmed, glancing down to his son. “He’s…papa is just doing up the laundry, babe. You okay?”

Ethan’s fingers curled and relaxed against Liam’s arm. “Still hurts,” he admitted, sniffling.  

“S’why we’re resting, yeah? Gonna get all better?”

Liam felt Ethan nod. “M’tired daddy.”

“I know you are, bub - gotta stay up just for a little bit longer though - just until the medication starts to work, okay?”

Ethan nodded again, nestling down into Liam’s side. “M’gonna be strong like you, daddy…”

“I know you are, baby,” Liam agreed, resting a hand to Ethan’s forehead for a moment. He frowned. Still way too warm for Liam’s liking. “What did you want to watch next?”

Ethan begged for new Spiderman movies and for Zayn to join them when he came back up from the laundry room in the basement. The two of them sat on the couch, with Ethan curled up between them, murmuring his favourite parts of the movies as they watched.

At lunchtime, they checked his temperature. It had only gone down by a little bit, but Zayn was quick to reassure Liam that it was a start. Zayn made them all lunch - with soup for Ethan (’S’not as good as your mums’, Zayn had muttered),  and sandwiches for them. 

They let him nap - just for a little while - as they both relaxed on the couch. Liam had his fingers playing through Ethan’s hair while Zayn settled a blanket over the little boys legs.

“So…” Liam began, lolling his head back against the couch to look at his boyfriend. “He called you papa again.”

Zayn’s head shot up, and Liam enjoyed the warm blush that seemed to crawl up Zayn’s skin. “Did he now?” Zayn’s voice cracked a little.

Liam nodded. “I think he likes you,” he teased, quirking a brow. “I know we haven’t talked much about it since my birthday, but…”

“I meant what I said,” Zayn blurted. “I do - want that. I want to be part of your lives. Of  _his_  life, yeah? But of course, you’re his father and I don’t want to like, overstep anyth-”

Liam reached over to slide his warm hand against Zayn’s neck, pressing his thumb into his collarbone. “You’re not overstepping. As far as I am concerned, I meant what I said that day, too. The idea of Ethan calling you papa is a good one, Zayn, and the fact that you want it too makes me happy.”

“You both make me happy,” he shrugged, tilting into Liam’s touch. “And if Ethan wants me as his baba or his Zee, then I will do my best to be that for him.”

Liam swallowed past the lump in his throat. Never in a thousand years did he think he’d find someone who was so easily willing to fit themselves into his life. A life that he’d not give up or compromise for anyone. It was comfortable, the way Zayn came into his and Ethan’s little bubble, and while Liam still had his fears, it was a comfort to know that he and Ethan were loved and valued in the way they should be.

Ethan shifted between them, mumbling incoherently under his breath as he tried to get comfortable. His skin was still so hot, and Liam had stripped him down to just his underwear and a t-shirt to try and help him feel some sort of relief.

“I’m almost tempted to just take him to the clinic…” Liam murmured, pressing his thumb to the curve of Zayn’s jaw. “Worries me when he gets sick like this.”

Zayn hummed, closing his eyes. “We should really only take him if there’s a drastic change, babe. I know you’re worried - and so am I, but it doesn’t help anyone if we get him there and they say go home.”

“I know,” Liam huffed out a breath. “Just want him to be okay, yeah?”

“And he will be,” Zayn affirmed, reaching up to take Liam’s hand, linking their fingers. “He’s got two of the best here to get him better.”

Liam smiled at that, watching Zayn kiss his knuckles. “Just wait until we all get sick and then you’ll regret saying it.”

Zayn laughed. “S’what vitamins are for, baby.”

–

The next few hours were a test in patience, and Liam was lucky that Zayn was by his side the entire way. Ethan had made up a fuss when they woke him up to give him the next dose of the fever reducer, which had led to more tears and a heartbreaking ‘ _I don’t want daddy to do it, I want papa…’_  when Liam went to give him the cup.

“He hates me,” Liam muttered, looking so crestfallen when he handed Zayn the little cup full of liquid. “I am the worst father ever.”

Zayn stroked his cheek. “Stop that. He’s cranky and feverish and he loves you. Let him settle again and he’ll be fine.”

Liam watched from a distance as Zayn crouched down in front of where Ethan was settled on the couch. He watched as Zayn gently coaxed his son up into a sitting position, telling the boy to take the cup with two hands while helping him bring it to his lips.

They spent the rest of the day dozing on the couch with Ethan, while doing chores when they could. Zayn had bought new toothbrushes to replace the old ones - in case it was a virus - and spent a good amount of time cleaning up ‘problem areas’. Liam did some work on his laptop, making sure he was up to date with everything before putting an ‘out of office’ on his email and telling Niall to take over for the weekend.

True to her word, Karen showed up on their doorstep around 5 PM, with a bag full of homemade goods and remedies for Ethan. She stayed for a little bit to help get him fed, and noted that he did have some colour back in his cheeks. Ethan had been happy to see her, and they promised that they’d get their weekend very, very soon.

By bedtime, Ethan seemed a little more animated, though his fever was still high. They put on  _Tangled_  and settled together on the couch, with a damp cloth resting on the back of Ethan’s neck while he sat in Liam’s lap.

They took shifts sleeping with him through the night, with soft touches and kisses as they met in the hallway.

By morning, Zayn found Liam still in Ethan’s bed, with the little boy sleeping soundly on top of his chest. He leaned quietly on the doorframe, just admiring his two boys for a moment, before stepping into the room. 

He swiped a gentle hand over Ethan’s forehead, relieved to find him warm and definitely not as scalding as he was the day before. 

“Must’ve broke in the middle of the night.” Liam mumbled, making Zayn jump a little. “I’m all sweaty because of him.”

Zayn chuckled. “Good thing I like you when you’re sweaty.”

“Papa, c’n you get into bed, too? Wanna snuggle…” Ethan murmured into Liam’s chest, his eyes still closed.

“Of course, love,” Zayn nodded, waiting for Liam to shift over so that he could carefully lay himself down next to him. Ethan crawled in between them, his little hands coming to cup Zayn’s cheeks, gently pressing fingertips through the thick beard as Liam’s arms came around them both, holding the two of them close. 

This felt good to Liam. Like how it should always have been: just him, Ethan and Zayn. And as Zayn’s gentle humming of a wordless lullaby threatened to pull him under once more, he knew that there was no place on earth that he’d rather be. 


End file.
